Posted by simguy on 2/5/2005

Before: Kelly Packard intense, focused in prefight: she's back in the big show against a former protege (pre Samdog) - time to lay the smack down. "The hard part is done: getting here - beating Jennifer Love Hewitt to regain my title should be a piece of cake," boasts the former champ in prefight. "I can't think of a single fighter I match up better against. I'll pick Jennifer apart, outbox her, break her spirit and then: I'll stretch her out." Hewitt also eager to defend against a woman considered to be a flyweight benchmark. "Packard may not be what she once was, but she's still head and shoulders above most so-called contenders - I'm thrilled to be testing myself against her. If she tries to slug me the way she did Gellar, we'll be carting her out on a stretcher - but I don't expect her to come to me. Kelly Packard will be her old cute self when we hook up - I just have to be patient, cut off her escape routes and stay on her until she quits." White string bikini Hewitt, preceded by glorified belt-presenter Salma Hayek - Packard in navy halter bikini top, jaunty twist tie connection, sturdy navy bottoms with a baby blue sash motif waist, slick ponytail. Kelly reportedly losing an astonishing 44 pounds before the Gellar fight - she's in good shape for this contest, but not angular-hard the way she was in Baywatch heyday. Small gloves, both beauties.

During R1: Girls quick to midring, setting up in firm stances, dukes up, eyes bright. Kelly pop-pops her jab, keeping the right hand at her cheek: Jenny parries, bobs low, answers back a hook, tapping straight right, weight on front foot. Girls just knocking on each other's doors, straight, crisp punching, small gloves rewarded with the odd fresh 'crack' of leather on pretty face. First blood Hewitt - she breaks the tactical stalemate with a firm right between the mitts, hook-hooking Kelly's ear while sliding forward, chasing Packard back with a final rifling right up the middle. Kelly hits ropes in disarray, eyes moist - Hewitt steps to her with a thick patting of paunch via tight n' tidy hook. Hewitt taking the fight to Kelly's rack, getting up in there with biting lefts and rights out of a head bobbing delivery - Packard stiffening up, dukes at her temples, chopping her right, clipping her left in tight little arcs, fighting off the ropes to show pride at the bell.

R2: Kelly knows Jen scooped the first - blonde opens up more at midring to get the points back. Kel swinging a muscular hook to the liver, right hand at her cheek, swivel-pivoting around the punch, jabbing, then bending in close to get right hands in behind Jennifer's elbow. Hewitt bending forward, defensive - Kelly able to work the midriff, spank away to flank, arch her back and partake of jug as Jenny doesn't offer much back. Down the stretch, girls back in erect positions, jabbing at one another's faces - fresh, cracking spank as both score to the eyebrows and cheeks of the other.

R3: Kelly raised the bar last round: Jen's turn. Hewitt opens the party with a swinging hook to the body, leaning in to get in behind Kelly's protective ribs, really tearing up taut Packard gut. Hewitt leaning in close, stroking her right fist in on waist, back a stroking hook to the shoulder - she's bullying Packard straight back to the ropes. Kelly dukes at her temples, left foot forward, very rigid and erect - she's not as elusive as years past, electing to stand in the pocket, block and time the openings. Hewitt unleashing wave after wave of fresh punching, leaning in close to pull her fists into Kelly's body, scraping tight right/left uppercuts off the raised front of Kelly's guard, then digging hooks back downstairs to trembling gut. Up and down - Hewitt systematically wearing out the Packard defences - as Kelly loosens up against the ropes, breasts come back into play as Jen digs in, both hands. Hewitt pounding puppy at the bell, drawing a breathy gasp of complaint from a blushing blonde.

R4: Jennifer keeps her foot on the pedal, refusing to the let the pendulum swing back to Kelly. First minute - Jen stays back, pinging out the jab from her shoulder, right hand at her cheek as she steers Kelly into position. Cleaving right hands follow, mop up hooks underneath - textbook stuff from Hewitt has Packard biting down on her mouthguard, groaning from body shots, busting up from accurate head leather. Final minute - ramshackle Kelly sets up back-to-ropes, dukes at temples, slight incline forward - Hewitt dresses her up. JLH letting her hands go, but keeping it tight, always bringing dukes back to her chin to reload. Tearing right/lefts on the waist shake Packard's perky chassis - blonde muffling her cries behind her guard. Hewitt popping up out of her crouch to get uppercuts and hooks - good brisk tanning handed out bell to bell. 10-8 round puts a spring in Jenny's step - Packard slumped in her corner, wincing under the press of enswell against her tender brow.

R5,6,7: Purists rejoice - both girls put on a clinic of toe to toe professional flyweight action in these hotly contested, ridiculously difficult rounds to score. Dukes at cheeks or temples as girls lean forward, bobbing at the waist, swaying heads side to side as they lick hooks, chop right hands, dip into tidy uppercuts. Bright, spanking dig of small glove on rib or tummy punctuated by the tart crack of clean chin or face connect via hooks or uppercuts. Hewitt showing a brutal streak downstairs when she can lever Kel's back to the ropes, getting in low and pumping multiple right hands to the breadbasket - grimacing blonde clinching, clearly distraught by the gut wrenching attacks. Packard selective with her jab, but effective, patiently busting up Hewitt's eyes and using stick to aid a little shuffle step to either side. Kelly takes the fifth, Jenny the sixth and seventh in non-stop, crowd pleasing, slender-limbed professional prizefighting. During the breaks, both girls (and their corners) confident they've won each heat.

R8: Kelly working behind that razor-keen jab - systematically going to work on Hewitt's left eye - blonde's eyes glittering crow-like at the meticulous damage being done. Jennifer holding her ground, bobbing and weaving stick when she can - she's getting the timing down and midway through she SHOCKS Kelly a slinging right over Packard's poke. Kelly does a little reeling stagger-step to her right, shaking her head then HOPPING TO HER KNEES! Delayed action knockdown has Kelly stunned on all fours - happy Hewitt playfully straddles Kel and walks over top en route to neutral corner. Packard taking 8, digging in at ropes - Hewitt once again able to pin her ears back and go at what's left. Kel just earmuffing up tight, buckling and cringing whenever Jen rips her clean to the body, keeping her guard together to thwart those scraping uppercuts and suffering in mute silence as Hewitt roasts jug at the bell.

R9: Girls tapping out jabs, rotating left, stepping in with hooks, stepping to the right and sliding in hesitation rights - classy stuff. Tactical stalemate midring ends at the two minute mark when both rise into hooks, but Kelly's left wins the race. Hewitt scattered to the ropes, badly stunned for the first time in the fight and ON COMES KELLY! Packard POURING into ramshackle champion - snap-snatching at the gut, hacking at the ear and trying to pick Jen up uppercuts. Hewitt staggered again as a volley of punches shakes her up - KELLY ROMPS TO JUG! Hewitt helpless, open mouthed as Packard gets in close and helps herself to shrugging mittfuls of Jenny Love's mounds. Great chugging barrage leaves Jen throbbing at the bell.

R10: Girls angle in on each other, jabbing face with heartless malice. Weight on front feet, both look to clip little left uppercuts or hooks off the jab, right hands tight to cheek, heads bobbing on follow through. Brisk hooking two way to breadbaskets and ribs - real scouring stuff pinking up both torsos - both beauties just focused on harming the other at all costs. Final minute - Kelly dips, places a slutty right hand flat on Jenny Love's sternum, carves a tidy left in on the same place and Jenny's legs give a jolt. Hewitt choking back a sob - Kelly redoubles her efforts, dipping her shoulder down, shifting her hips and hooking up into Jenny, again, and AGAIN! Hewitt hurt, trying to clinch - Packard slides back, picks her up a tidy right uppercut on the chin, tidy left uppercut, stacking limp Jenny up with a shoulder and shoving back onto the ropes. KELLY'S ALL IN! Packard baring her teeth, eyes hard with hate as hooks and right hands rake Jennifer's wilting defences. Hewitt's head bouncing savagely as guard droops, butt in the ropes - she's helpless and THE REF JUMPS IN! TKO10 for the winner and NEW flyweight queen - Kelly Packard!

After: Packard leaping away, falling to her knees and breaking down into great wracking sobs - champion again after a long, tumultuous road. Hewitt blasted out on her feet - all busted up and incoherent - tragic sobbing from a brunette who's worked just as hard and suffered just as many setbacks as Kelly - shame one of them had to lose.